Articles Posted in Other Commentary

Chapman University law professor Ronald Rotunda reflects on the life and accomplishments of his friend the late Justice Antonin Scalia. Rotunda responds to some of the criticism that surfaced after Scalia’s death and recounts some of his most memorable opinions.

Chapman University law professor Ronald Rotunda reflects on the accomplishments of several attorneys who passed away in 2015. Among the lawyers Rotunda remembers are: Mario Matthew Cuomo, Edward W. Brooke, Vincent Bugliosi, Fred Thompson, Solomon S. Seay, Loredana Nesci, Joe Jamail, Richard S. Ketcham, and Tahir Elci.

Cornell University law professor Sherry Colb draws upon recent comments by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in order to explore the sexism of having a separate “ladies’ room.” Colb responds to two of the most common objections to unisex restrooms and calls upon more people to demand them in public places.

Cornell University law professor Michael Dorf considers whether Princeton should remove Woodrow Wilson’s name and likeness from the campus due to Wilson’s racist views and actions. Dorf points out that the question is complex for a number of reasons, and rather than offering an outright answer, he provides a framework for evaluating this and similar issues.

John W. Dean, former counsel to President Nixon, reflects on the life of former Senator Fred Thompson, who passed away from a recurrence of lymphatic cancer on November 1, 2015. Dean describes how he and Thompson met, when the latter served as minority counsel to the Senate Watergate Committee, and their repeated crossed paths over the following decades.

Cornell University law professor Michael Dorf discusses a baseball play during Game 2 of the National League Division Series to illustrate the legal concept of legal rules as written as distinguished from legal rules enforced.

Cornell University law professor Sherry Colb discusses possible implications a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport that a woman’s having a naturally high level of testosterone in her body is insufficient grounds for barring her from competing in women’s athletics.

Chapman University law professor Ronald Rotunda discusses relative change in attitudes toward Jews in the United States and elsewhere in the world.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean debunks the myth that Warren G. Harding—the twenty-ninth president of the United States—was African American and resolves in the affirmative the question whether he fathered a child out of wedlock.

Law professor and dean designate of the University of Illinois College of Law Vikram David Amar reflects on his tenure as a professor and administrator at the University of California. While Amar extols the University as being the greatest public university system in the world, he highlights a few challenges that it faces as it moves forward.

Amid nationwide discussions about removing the Confederate battle flag from public display, Cornell University law professor Joseph Margulies comments on the role of symbols and the American criminal justice system.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean comments on “deflategate”—the controversy over whether the New England Patriots intentionally deflated footballs in the AFC championship game against the Indianapolis Colts—and argues that the process highlights the shortcomings of the NFL’s rules.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean reflects on the life and achievements of American historian Stanley Kutler. Dean describes Stanley’s role in setting the public record straight with respect to Watergate and laments that the New York Times never seemed to quite understand Watergate, as evidenced by its gratuitously repeating a false charge about Stanley’s book in its obituary on him.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean discusses the phenomenon of shaming, particularly public shaming, in the context of the Internet, and draws upon two books discussing that topic in very different ways.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean provides background details on the federal case against former CIA Director David H. Petraeus and explains why the final sentence might have been far harsher than he anticipates it ultimately being.

U.C. Davis law professor Vikram David Amar and guest columnist and dean of UC Davis law school Kevin R. Johnson offer five ways in which law students might better use the U.S. News law school rankings when they are released.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean recounts his personal experience with information anxiety/overload and explains why the medium by which he consumes information is important.

Cornell University visiting law professor Joseph Margulies comments on the recent FOX News fiasco involving extreme Islamophobic views and the public’s response of ridicule.

Cornell University law professor Sherry Colb discusses the observed phenomenon of mental health clinicians’ empathy varying with the cause of the patient’s disorder, and compares this occurrence with juror empathy.

Former counsel to the president John W. Dean reflects on a visit he had with the late California Justice Mildred Lillie, who, due to gender discrimination, was denied appointment on the U.S. Supreme Court.